Open Solicitations in Earth Science Data Systems

The Earth Science Data Systems Program has periodic open solicitations for research and development to support the continual evolution of our Earth science data systems, and add to data records being provided from our systems. The Advancing Collaborative Connections for Earth System Science Program enhances, extends, and improves existing data system components. Earth System Data Records Uncertainty Analysis, Making Earth System Data Records for Use in Research Environments programs support Earth science researchers by providing measurements that benefit from data coming from multiple missions spanning longer time periods.

Overview of ACCESS

The primary objective of the Advancing Collaborative Connections for Earth System Science (ACCESS) program is to enhance, extend, and improve existing components of NASA’s distributed and heterogeneous data and information systems infrastructure. NASA’s Earth science data systems is made up of both core and community elements. These elements directly support the agency’s science and applied science goals and objectives. ACCESS projects increase the interconnectedness and reuse of key information technology software, techniques, and services underpinning the advancement of Earth science research.

The ACCESS program supports the deployment of data and information capabilities that enable the freer movement of data and information within our distributed environment of providers and users. This often requires the utilization of tools and services to aid in measurable improvements of Earth science data access and data usability. Awarded projects are expected to augment NASA’s heterogeneous data system components by leveraging these proven information technologies in order to rapidly deploy data system services that bridge specific gaps within the agency’s Earth science information systems.

The ACCESS program seeks to deploy and reuse existing technological solutions in support of Earth science data and information needs. The use of mature technologies and practices helps to lower the overall project risk of system deployment, while making these new capabilities readily available to research and applied science communities. Proposals, therefore, offering substantively new IT development efforts or those carrying significant risk due to the immaturity of the technical components are not recommended for submission to ACCESS solicitations. Awarded project work plans must focus on the use of higher TRL (technology readiness level) technology components (generally TRL 7 and above). The program encourages targeted solutions to current data access and data usability issues by supplying new tools or services to our Earth science research community.

Overview of Earth System Data Records Uncertainty Analysis

The Earth Science Division (ESD) uses NASA’s unique capabilities in space to study the fundamental Earth processes that power climate, weather, and natural hazards, and the impact of those processes on the quality of life. In pursuit of its objectives in Earth system science research, NASA is generating Earth system data of unprecedented quality and quantity and developing data processing and modeling capabilities to transform these data into products, information, and, ultimately, new knowledge of our planet. NASA Earth science data, data products and data processing algorithms are stored in archives at centers across the United States and linked by the Internet for data access and distribution.

A major need stated in the NASA Earth science research strategy is to develop long-term, consistent, and calibrated data and products that are valid across multiple missions and satellite sensors.

NASA has invested in the creation of consistent time series satellite data sets over decades, through both mission science team-based and measurement-based data product reprocessing and through solicitations for merged data products (most recently ROSES 2006 Making Earth System data records for Use in Research for Earth Science, or MEaSUREs, Program). The Earth Science Division has focused on data sets creation for particular Earth science research measurement needs, and has defined a term for data sets to be used these needs: Earth System Data Records (ESDRs), including Climate Data Records (CDRs). An ESDR is defined as a unified and coherent set of observations of a given parameter of the Earth system, which is optimized to meet specific requirements in addressing science questions. These data records are critical to understanding Earth System processes, are critical to assessing variability, long-term trends and change in the Earth System, and provide input and validation means to modeling efforts.

The Earth System Data Records Uncertainty Analysis program seeks to extend and enhance the use of Earth System Data Records, including Climate Data Records, through rigorous estimation of error in Earth System Data Records used by NASA communities. Earth System Data Records Uncertainty Analysis projects increase the science value of Earth System science measurements by identifying and validating systematic errors, and improving error estimations. The Earth System Data Records Uncertainty Analysis program contributes to supporting agency research and applied science goals and objectives.

Open Solicitations

There are currently no open Earth System Data Records Uncertainty Analysis solicitations.

Past Solicitations

Overview of MEaSUREs

NASA, through its Earth Science Data Systems, supports the NASA Earth Science research community in providing Earth science data products and services driven by NASA’s Earth Science goals. NASA’s Earth Science Program is dedicated to advancing Earth remote sensing and pioneering the scientific use of satellite measurements to improve human understanding of our home planet in order to inform economic and policy decisions and improve operational services of benefit to the Nation. Through the MEaSUREs Program, NASA is continuing its commitment to expand understanding the Earth system using consistent records. NASA has begun to deploy new types of sensors to provide three-dimensional profiles of Earth’s atmosphere and surface. Emphasis is placed into linking together multiple satellites into a constellation, developing the means of utilizing a multitude of data sources to form coherent time series, and facilitating the use of extensive data in the development of comprehensive Earth system models.

Past Solicitations

Overview of Sea Level Rise Portal

The Sea Level Rise Portal was an element of the Sea Level Rise solicitation in ROSES 2013 whose overall intent is to integrate research results, data sets, and model output to improve the accuracy and spatial resolution of sea level change estimates, and communicate these results in a simplified manner to the scientific community and general public.

The sea level rise portal element called for the development and maintenance of a sea level rise Web portal to support innovative approaches to presenting the full complexity of sea level rise research. It called for improved integration of current scientific results supported by online data and analysis tools and other services. It sought innovative techniques for communicating science progress and results, access to observational and model data, information related to sea level rise, and online tools that combine visualizations, analysis, data set search and order, social media, mobile, and other capabilities. The Portal Group will lead coordination efforts across all of the subelements of the awarded project, NASA supported scientists, the Earth Science Data and Information Systems (ESDIS) Project, and external organizations.

Past Solicitations

Additional Resources

NASA solicits research and development through the release of various research announcements in a wide range of science and technology disciplines. Visit the NASA NSPIRES Website for more information about NASA research opportunities, including through the annual Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) solicitations.